


New Normal

by automaticdoor



Category: Community
Genre: Dark Agenda, Darkest Timeline, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-20
Updated: 2012-12-20
Packaged: 2017-11-21 18:20:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/600749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/automaticdoor/pseuds/automaticdoor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Britta's Greendale Mom ways get her more than she bargained for when the worst happens.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Normal

**Author's Note:**

  * For [andibeth82](https://archiveofourown.org/users/andibeth82/gifts).



> Partially inspired by [this](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5gm6qnLSM1r45ku9o1_500.png) Community secret from Tumblr.

Britta stretched, the sunlight pouring in through the window glinting off of her and her blue streak of hair. It seemed incongruous, somehow, that things should be so bright. Jeff pulled her closer with his left arm. "Babe, why are you getting up?"

"Why not? It's almost noon. We have class."

"Since when did you ever care about that?"

"It's called a 'coping mechanism,' Jeff. We all have them. Troy and Abed have been running around with those beards, Shirley's got booze, Annie... well, I guess Annie's problem was that she didn't have one."

"Wow, someone's finally starting to learn something from her psychology classes."

"Is it okay for me to punch a guy with one arm?"

"Only if it's okay for him to punch a lady."

She rolled her eyes and got up, leaving him in her bed, where he often was these days. Maybe when he got back she'd be able to get him to take a shower, though she doubted he'd shave today.

~*~

Sure enough, Jeff was still in bed when she got back from class. She tugged on his good arm. "Jeff. Shower. Now."

"Only if you come with me," he leered.

Britta raised her eyebrows, but thought, _Whatever it takes at this point._

So, she stripped down, pulling off her leather jacket and boots and skinny jeans. "Jeff. It's time."

He rolled out of bed, naked and glorious, despite the fact that he'd not showered in days. She hungrily drank him in. 

"I thought you wanted me to shower?"

"The water's already running." She dragged him to the shower, kissing him deeply the whole way. They stumbled into walls and the door frame and almost tripped over the edge of the tub, but somehow, they didn't really care. 

They ended up steaming up the bathroom in more ways than one.

~*~

Eventually, Jeff stopped paying the mortgage on his condo and moved his important stuff into Britta's too-small apartment. How she ended up mothering him, she had no idea, but she had. He dropped out of school and spent the majority of his days naked in her bed feeling sorry for himself.

Eventually, Britta had enough. "Look. This is getting ridiculous. Troy lost his larynx. Annie is in an institution. Abed got even weirder. Shirley is a drunk. Pierce _died_. You lost an arm. Plenty of people lose limbs. You have to get over this."

"Britta. You have no fucking idea. You have a temporary blue streak in your hair."

"Yeah, well, I'm also taking care of a selfish asshole and worrying about everyone else. Annie can't have visitors, Shirley doesn't want them, and Troy and Abed are holed up somewhere scheming about getting back to the 'real timeline,' whatever that means. They are all sick. Since when did I become the normal one?"

"You've always been the Greendale Mom."

"And you're now the absentee father. You have to get your shit together. Where's a Winger Speech?"

Jeff sighed. "Britta, I'm out of them. I have nothing inspirational to say. Please. Just... stop. Leave well enough alone."

"This isn't well enough." She ran her fingers through her hair and buried her face in her hands. Tears shone in her eyes. "I just want it back to normal, Jeff. I want you back to normal. I miss you."

He mumbled into the pillow, so soft she could barely make it out, "I miss me too."

~*~

Troy and Abed finally came out of hiding. Britta had no idea where they'd been and frankly didn't really want to know. They were full of ideas about the "real timeline" and had felt goatees and all sorts of other bullshit that Britta tuned out. Jeff seemed half-interested; he got dressed and showered of his own accord and wandered into the living room to listen to them babble on.

"So, you really think this could work? I could get my arm back?"

"And we could get our Annie back! And Pierce! And the real Shirley!" Troy cried in his new high-pitched voice.

"Guys. This is ridiculous," Britta said. "How do you propose we do this?"

"Well, first we need to gather Annie and Shirley. We recreate that evening in the ruins of the apartment. Then, we throw the dice again. Even if we don't get back to the original timeline, we have to get to a better one!" Troy said.

"Annie's not going anywhere, and Shirley's drinking herself into a stupor. How do you propose we get them?" Jeff asked. Britta found herself curious as well in spite of herself.

"Annie's doing a lot better. Shirley's... not, but we could still get her." Abed explained.

"What do you mean by 'a lot better'?" Britta asked somewhat suspiciously.

"Well, I called pretending to be her father, and they're about to move her into outpatient care. So, she's going to need somewhere to stay." Abed said.

"Um, that is a total violation of medical privacy laws," Jeff said.

"Well, clearly this facility doesn't care."

"Back up. Where is she staying?" Britta asked.

"Welllll... we were hoping you could help us out. Also, we kind of need somewhere to stay," Troy said, making his most wide-eyed face.

"Do you guys realize how small this place is?"

"Oh, we can sleep on the floor. No problemo!" Abed said cheerfully. "We'll give Annie the pull-out couch. And we know you and Jeff are sleeping together, so he's taken care of."

Britta blushed bright red. "Of course you know."

"It's obvious, Britta."

She cut him off before he could do another flashback series like the one he'd done in the spring. "Fine. You're right. Whatever. We're grown-ups."

"Oh, we know," Troy smirked.

~*~

Troy, Abed, and eventually Annie came to live with them. Britta was still the only one going to classes. She found it soothing to keep up a routine. _If someone had told me that I'd be the one going to class out of the group..._

Finally, the day came when Troy and Abed pronounced them ready to return to the apartment. Only... Annie balked, hiding in the corner every time the idea was mentioned. Britta still thought it was bullshit. Jeff was warily eager. And, Shirley was still unaccounted for. 

"Guys. This is a terrible idea," Britta said.

"Don't you want our normal lives back?" Abed said.

"Britta, nothing _happened_ to you!" Troy exclaimed.

"Nothing _happened_? Nothing _happened_? You are all living in my apartment! I lost two of my friends to death and alcohol and the rest of them to breakdowns and this stupid idea! I am basically looking after all of you! I make sure you eat! I make sure you shower! This _is_ our new normal!" Britta stopped, having run out of breath.

"Well, our new normal sucks," Troy said.

Annie piped up from the corner. "You guys. We have to make the best of this. That's what my therapist said. I'm trying. I don't want to go back to a world of responsibilities I'm not ready for. Do you guys think you could handle going back to school and all of that? Because that's what you'd have to do."

Everyone in the room but Britta looked down, up, around, everywhere but at Annie with embarrassed looks on their faces. 

Britta looked at Annie. "Wow, Annie, that was almost a Winger Speech."

Annie grinned, one of the first smiles Britta had seen on her since her breakdown. "Someone had to say it."

Maybe they'd be okay after all.


End file.
